A hydrogen fuel cell and a hydrogen fuel cell engine

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of fuel cell, in particular to a hydrogen fuel cell and hydrogen fuel cell engine, the fuel cell comprises a box body and a cell stack arranged in the box body, the box body comprises a first box wall and a second box wall arranged oppositely and spaced apart; the first box wall is provided with a first groove with an opening facing outward, a first cover plate is sealingly connected to the opening of the first groove, an air supply channel is enclosed between the first cover plate and the groove wall of the first groove, a plurality of air sweeping openings are arranged on the inner side of the first box wall and communicate with the air supply channel, air in the air supply channel enters the box body through the air sweeping openings, and is discharged to the outside of the box body from the air outlet of the second box wall after mixing with hydrogen in the box body; since the air supply channel is arranged in the first box wall, it is not necessary to arrange an air supply pipe in the box body, thereby avoiding the reduction of the ratio of the output power to the volume of the fuel cell caused by arranging the air supply pipe in the box body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fuel cell technology, and in particular to a hydrogen fuel cell and a hydrogen fuel cell engine. Background Technology

[0002] Hydrogen fuel cells are power generation devices that directly convert the chemical energy of hydrogen and oxygen into electrical energy. Compared to the lithium resources required for lithium battery manufacturing, hydrogen fuel cells are considered the fourth continuous power generation method after hydropower, thermal power, and nuclear power. Hydrogen has more abundant reserves and sources, effectively avoiding the problem of shortages of upstream production materials for batteries. Moreover, the only emission from hydrogen fuel is water, making it a strictly clean energy source and more environmentally friendly. Furthermore, compared to lithium batteries, hydrogen fuel cells have a higher overall recyclability after disposal, preventing secondary pollution. In addition, hydrogen has higher electrochemical reaction thermal efficiency, giving new energy vehicles using hydrogen fuel cells a longer driving range. Moreover, refueling hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is similar to refueling gasoline vehicles, reducing refueling waiting time for users. Therefore, hydrogen fuel cell engines have excellent application prospects.

[0003] Hydrogen fuel cells require the battery stack to be placed in a sealed container. During the power generation process, hydrogen gas in the battery stack may leak into the container. If the leaked hydrogen gas cannot be discharged from the container in time, it will accumulate inside the container. When the hydrogen gas accumulates to a certain concentration, there is a risk of explosion. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce air into the container to discharge the hydrogen gas inside the container to the outside.

[0004] Currently, in order to introduce air into the housing, a ventilation duct needs to be installed inside the housing. The air inlet of the ventilation duct extends out of the housing, and a scavenging port is opened on the wall of the ventilation duct. During the fuel cell power generation process, air is introduced into the ventilation duct through the air inlet. The air entering the ventilation duct flows into the housing through the scavenging port. The air flowing into the housing mixes with the hydrogen in the housing and is then discharged from the housing through the air outlet set on the housing wall, thereby reducing the hydrogen concentration in the housing.

[0005] However, installing ventilation pipes inside the housing requires occupying internal space, thus necessitating an increase in housing size. This reduces the ratio of fuel cell output power to volume, failing to meet the compact design requirements of fuel cells. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by this invention is that currently, in order to ventilate the hydrogen fuel cell housing, ventilation pipes need to be installed inside the hydrogen fuel cell housing, which leads to a decrease in the ratio of the output power to the volume of the hydrogen fuel cell.

[0007] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention provides a hydrogen fuel cell, comprising a housing and a battery stack disposed within the housing. The housing includes a first housing wall and a second housing wall arranged at relatively intervals. The first housing wall has a first groove with an outward opening, and a first cover plate is sealed to the opening of the first groove. The first cover plate and the first groove form an air supply channel. The first housing wall has a plurality of air purging ports spaced apart and communicating with the air supply channel. The second housing wall has an air outlet.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment, the first cover plate is welded to the opening of the first groove.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment, the first box wall includes a first wall panel and a first reinforcing rib plate disposed on the outside of the first wall panel, and the first groove is disposed in the first reinforcing rib plate.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment, the outline of the first cover plate is larger than the outline of the first groove, and the outer side of the first reinforcing rib is provided with a first positioning groove that matches the first cover plate. The outer side of the first cover plate is flush with the outer side of the first reinforcing rib.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment, the battery stacks are spaced apart within the sealed housing, and the air vents are arranged in the gaps between two battery stacks.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment, both the first box wall and the second box wall are side walls of the box body, and the air outlet is arranged on the upper part of the second box wall.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment, the second box wall is provided with a second groove with an outward opening, and a second cover plate is sealed to the opening of the second groove. The second cover plate and the groove wall of the second groove form an exhaust channel.

[0014] There are multiple air outlets, and each air outlet is arranged at intervals on the inner side of the second box wall. Each air outlet is connected to one end of the exhaust channel, and the other end of the exhaust channel is connected to an exhaust gas treatment device.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment, the second cover plate is friction-welded to the opening of the second groove.

[0016] A hydrogen fuel cell engine includes an intercooler, an air compressor, and the aforementioned hydrogen fuel cell, wherein the outlet of the intercooler is connected to the air supply channel, and the inlet of the intercooler is connected to the outlet of the air compressor.

[0017] As a preferred embodiment, the air compressor's air inlet is connected to an air filter.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0019] The hydrogen fuel cell of the present invention includes a housing and a battery stack disposed within the housing. The housing includes a first housing wall and a second housing wall arranged at intervals. The first housing wall has a first groove with an outward opening. A first cover plate is sealed to the opening of the first groove. The first cover plate and the groove wall of the first groove form an air supply channel. The inner side of the first housing wall is provided with a plurality of air scavenging ports that communicate with the air supply channel. Air in the air supply channel enters the housing through the air scavenging ports, mixes with hydrogen in the housing, and is discharged to the outside of the housing from the air outlet of the second housing wall. Since the air supply channel is disposed within the first housing wall, it is not necessary to install an air supply pipe inside the housing, thus avoiding the reduction in the output power to volume ratio of the fuel cell caused by installing an air supply pipe inside the housing. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 A top view of a hydrogen fuel cell;

[0021] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Cross-sectional view at point A-A;

[0022] Figure 3 An outer view of the first box wall after the first cover plate has been removed;

[0023] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged view of a section at point B in the middle;

[0024] Figure 5 An exploded view of the first box wall;

[0025] Figure 6 An external view of the second box wall after the second cover plate has been removed;

[0026] Figure 7 This is an outer view of the second box wall after the second cover plate has been installed.

[0027] In the diagram, 1. Box body; 11. First box wall; 111. First groove; 112. First cover plate; 1121. Air inlet; 113. Air outlet; 114. First positioning groove; 115. First wall panel; 116. First reinforcing rib plate; 117. Sealing ring; 118. First pipe joint; 12. Second box wall; 121. Air outlet; 122. Second groove; 123. Second cover plate; 124. Second pipe joint; 2. Battery stack; 21. Support column; Detailed Implementation

[0028] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0029] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. It should be understood that the terms "first," "second," etc., are used in this invention to describe various information, but this information should not be limited to these terms; these terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of this invention, "first" information can also be referred to as "second" information, and similarly, "second" information can also be referred to as "first" information.

[0030] like Figures 1 to 7 As shown, a preferred embodiment of the hydrogen fuel cell of the present invention includes a housing 1 and a battery stack 2 disposed within the housing 1. The housing 1 includes a first housing wall 11 and a second housing wall 12 arranged at relatively intervals. The first housing wall 11 has a first groove 111 with an outward opening. A first cover plate 112 is sealed to the opening of the first groove 111. The first cover plate 112 and the groove wall of the first groove 111 form an air supply channel. A plurality of air purging ports 113 communicating with the air supply channel are provided at intervals on the inner side of the first housing wall 11. The second housing wall 12 has an air outlet 121 that communicates the interior and exterior of the sealed housing 1. Air in the air supply channel enters the housing 1 through the air vent 113, mixes with the hydrogen in the housing 1, and is discharged to the outside of the housing 1 from the air outlet 121 of the second housing wall 12. Since the air supply channel is located in the first housing wall 11, there is no need to install an air supply pipe in the housing 1, thus avoiding the reduction in the output power to volume ratio of the fuel cell caused by installing an air supply pipe in the housing 1. When the fuel cell is installed in the power compartment of the vehicle, the space occupied by the ventilation pipe is freed up inside the housing 1, and the installation of the housing 1 can be offset over a larger range, which greatly facilitates the optimization of the power compartment structure design.

[0031] There are several ways to seal the first cover plate 112 to the opening of the first groove 111, such as by setting a sealing ring and connecting bolts. In this embodiment, the first cover plate 112 is friction-welded to the opening of the first groove 111. Specifically, the first cover plate 112 is welded to the opening of the first groove 111 by friction stir welding. Friction welding provides good sealing at the weld seam, and the first cover plate 112 does not protrude from the outside of the housing 1, making the overall structure of the housing 1 more compact.

[0032] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 , Figure 4As shown, the first housing wall 11 includes a first wall panel 115 and a first reinforcing rib plate 116 disposed on the outer side of the first wall panel 115, with a first groove 111 disposed in the first reinforcing rib plate 116. The reinforcing ribs can reduce the weight of the first housing wall while ensuring its strength. Furthermore, connecting the first groove 111 to the first reinforcing rib plate 116 by friction welding not only optimizes the structure of the first reinforcing rib plate and ensures its reinforcement of the first wall panel 115, but also achieves the air supply function. This further reduces the ratio of the mass to the strength of the housing 1, which is beneficial for the lightweight design of hydrogen fuel cells.

[0033] Specifically, such as Figure 4 As shown, the outline of the first cover plate 112 is larger than the outline of the first groove 111. The outer side of the first reinforcing rib is provided with a first positioning groove 114 that matches the first cover plate 112. When the first cover plate 112 is placed in the first positioning groove 114, the outer surface of the first cover plate 112 is flush with the outer surface of the first reinforcing rib. The first positioning groove 114 facilitates the installation of the first cover plate 112 and promotes mass production of the housing 1, which is crucial for products with large production volumes, such as automobiles.

[0034] In this embodiment, as Figure 2 As shown, multiple battery stacks 2 are spaced apart within a sealed enclosure. A scavenging port 113 is arranged between each adjacent battery stack 2. Specifically, each scavenging port 113 is positioned towards the gap between two adjacent battery stacks 2, allowing air blown from the scavenging port 113 to pass parallel across the gap between the battery stacks 2, facilitating the efficient removal of hydrogen from the enclosure 1. Specifically, multiple support columns are spaced apart within the enclosure 1, and each battery stack 2 is arranged vertically along the axial direction of each support column. The first enclosure wall 11 and the second enclosure wall 12 are both side walls of the enclosure. An air outlet 121 is located on the upper part of the second enclosure wall 12. Since the density of hydrogen is less than that of air, placing the air outlet 121 on the upper part of the second enclosure wall 12 allows for the removal of mixed gases with a high hydrogen concentration as much as possible.

[0035] Furthermore, such as Figure 6As shown, the second box wall 12 is provided with a second groove 122 with an outward opening. A second cover plate 123 is sealed to the opening of the second groove 122. The second cover plate 123 and the groove wall of the second groove 122 form an exhaust channel. There are multiple air outlets 121, and each air outlet 121 is arranged at intervals inside the second box wall 12. Each air outlet 121 is connected to one end of the exhaust channel, and the other end of the exhaust channel is connected to an exhaust gas treatment device. Specifically, the second cover plate 123 is friction-welded to the opening of the second groove 122. The second cover plate 123 is connected to a second pipe joint that communicates with the exhaust channel. The other end of the second pipe joint is connected to the exhaust gas treatment device. Specifically, the second box wall 12 includes a second wall panel and a second reinforcing rib plate disposed on the outside of the second wall panel. The second groove 122 is disposed in the second reinforcing rib plate. The outline of the second cover plate is larger than the outline of the second groove 122. The outer side of the second reinforcing rib plate is provided with a second positioning groove that matches the second cover plate 122. When the second cover plate is placed in the second positioning groove, the outer side of the second cover plate is flush with the outer side of the second reinforcing rib plate.

[0036] A preferred embodiment of a hydrogen fuel cell engine includes an intercooler, an air compressor, and the aforementioned hydrogen fuel cell. The outlet of the intercooler is connected to an air supply channel, and the inlet of the intercooler is connected to the outlet of the air compressor. Specifically, as shown... Figure 5 As shown, the lower end of the first cover plate 112 is provided with an air inlet 1121. The air inlet 1121 is detachably and sealingly connected to a first pipe joint 118 through a sealing ring 117. The other end of the first pipe joint 118 is connected to the air outlet of the intercooler. Furthermore, the air inlet of the air compressor is connected to an air filter to prevent dust and other impurities from entering the housing 1.

[0037] In summary, the hydrogen fuel cell of the present invention has an air supply channel located inside the first housing wall 11, thus eliminating the need for an air supply pipe inside the housing 1. This avoids the reduction in the output power to volume ratio of the fuel cell caused by the installation of an air supply pipe inside the housing 1. When the fuel cell is installed in the power compartment of a vehicle, the space occupied by the ventilation pipe is freed up inside the housing 1, allowing for a greater range of offset in the installation of the housing 1, which greatly facilitates the optimization of the power compartment structure. Furthermore, by placing the air inlet channel on the first reinforcing rib, not only is the structure of the first reinforcing rib optimized, ensuring the reinforcement effect of the first reinforcing rib on the first wall panel 115 while achieving the air supply function, but the ratio of the mass to the strength of the housing 1 is also smaller, which is beneficial for the lightweight design of the hydrogen fuel cell.

[0038] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and substitutions can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present invention, and these improvements and substitutions should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hydrogen fuel cell, characterized in that, The enclosure includes a housing (1) and a battery stack (2) disposed within the housing (1). The housing (1) includes a first housing wall (11) and a second housing wall (12) arranged at relatively intervals. The first housing wall (11) has a first groove (111) with an outward opening. A first cover plate (112) is sealed to the opening of the first groove (111). The first cover plate (112) and the first groove (111) form an air supply channel. The first housing wall (11) has a plurality of air vents (113) communicating with the air supply channel. The second housing wall (12) has an air outlet (121). 11) Includes a first wall panel (115) and a first reinforcing rib plate (116) disposed on the outside of the first wall panel (115), the first groove (111) is disposed in the first reinforcing rib plate (116); the first cover plate (112) is welded to the opening of the first groove (111); the outline of the first cover plate (112) is larger than the outline of the first groove (111), the outside of the first reinforcing rib plate (116) is provided with a first positioning groove (114) that matches the first cover plate (112), and the outer side of the first cover plate (112) is flush with the outer side of the first reinforcing rib plate.

2. The hydrogen fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery stacks (2) are spaced apart inside the housing (1), and the air vents (113) are arranged in the gap between two adjacent battery stacks (2).

3. The hydrogen fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first box wall (11) and the second box wall (12) are both side walls of the box body, and the air outlet (121) is arranged on the upper part of the second box wall (12).

4. The hydrogen fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second box wall (12) is provided with a second groove (122) with the opening facing outward. A second cover plate (123) is sealed and connected to the opening of the second groove (122). The second cover plate (123) and the groove wall of the second groove (122) form an exhaust channel. There are multiple air outlets (121), and each air outlet (121) is arranged at intervals on the inner side of the second box wall (12). Each air outlet (121) is connected to one end of the exhaust channel, and the other end of the exhaust channel is connected to an exhaust gas treatment device.

5. The hydrogen fuel cell according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second cover plate (123) is welded to the opening of the second groove (122).

6. A hydrogen fuel cell engine, characterized in that, The device includes an intercooler, an air compressor, and a hydrogen fuel cell as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the outlet of the intercooler is connected to the air supply channel, and the inlet of the intercooler is connected to the outlet of the air compressor.

7. The hydrogen fuel cell engine according to claim 6, characterized in that, An air filter is connected to the air inlet of the air compressor.

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